Sustainable Purchases
by Amy Stevens
We all know about Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, but there is a fourth practice we need to be embracing. Buying sustainable items, whether in materials, energy or practices, means a limited negative impact on natural resources and people; they avoid depleting or degrading the environment. Because they create few stresses on the environment, society can safely rely on them well into the future. Harmful practices to produce or source products is, in my opinion, the most difficult part to instinctively know, so it may involve some research on your part. It is easy to ask yourself if the item was sourced responsibly, but harder to answer without knowing the entire life cycle of the items you are buying. However, doing a little research can get you started on the right foot and makes a big difference.
The next question I ask is “Is the product packaging sustainable?” Buying the big clam shell lettuce may be easier in the moment, but knowing that this packaging takes about 450 years to break down in a landfill has me reaching for the unwrapped lettuce head.
There are small ways to go about this. For example, if you’re unwilling or unable to grind your own peanuts to make peanut butter, maybe your prefered brand is sold in bulk or in a glass jar instead of plastic. Both of these options are better than a plastic container with only a handful of servings, and these small choices add up!
We particularly try to buy sustainable clothing items, from sustainable brands or by shopping second hand. Fashion products make up 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions, dries up water sources and pollutes rivers and streams. And at that, 85% of clothing ends up in landfills each year. We’re just one family, but over time, staying consistent with this choice will make an impact, and we hope others join us. It is a challenge to keep all these things in mind when buying products. It definitely takes more effort, forethought and time. Sometimes, it even costs more money. My family embraces these practices in every way we can, but we still have lots of room to improve. We are compelled to integrate these practices into our daily life because we love skiing, scuba diving, hiking, and travel in general. It is our love of this amazing earth and seeing the beauty it has to offer, that has inspired us to make even small changes.
We felt that our recycling, reducing and reusing was not enough. Not making a big enough impact. We realized that where and how we choose to spend our dollars is more impactful. If we force companies to adopt better practices of sustainability by not buying their harmful products, we make greater change. In the end, it can be daunting to begin these practices. A good way to start is by doing a bit of research on products you buy repeatedly (for example, search “sustainable tuna fish,” “eco-friendly toothbrushes,” or “low-impact school supplies”) because buying responsibly can go a long way to help.